The invention concerns a panel having a panel top side and a panel underside and at least two mutually opposite panel edges, which respectively have an edge break at the panel top side, wherein the edge breaks in turn in the connected condition together form a join in a covering surface.
The panels usually have decorative surfaces. In particular the invention relates to a panel of the above-indicated general kind which is intended for adhesive bonding to a supporting substrate. Such panels are used for example as floor panels and are glued on a floor screed and so forth. The mutually opposite panel edges of the proposed panel have contoured panel edges which are of a mutually complementary configuration, that is to say in principle two panel edges of the same panel can be joined together if the panel were cut apart. When laying panels it is quite usual for the last panel at the end of a row of panels to be shortened as required if the space is not sufficient to place the full panel at the end of a row of panels.
Panels which are intended for adhesive bonding to a substrate frequently dispense with contoured panel edges. Then they have simply flat panel edges which are arranged perpendicularly to the panel top side and which are fitted together in butting relationship. On the other hand, panels having contoured panel edges are known, which have a complementary groove and tongue for adhesive laying of the panels. Groove and tongue panels can also be glued to the substrate, but in many cases they are intended for floating laying and are not glued to the substrate. In that case only the groove and tongue edges are glued together.
The edge breaks at the top at the panel edges represent a blunting effect which makes the respective edge less sensitive to mechanical shocks and in that way protects the panel edges. The butting join of panels which are fitted together can in practice turn out to be irregular. Although panel edges are pressed together when they are adhesively bonded on a substrate inclined positions and gaps can occur, which disrupt a desired uniform appearance for a coating surface. In that respect edge breaks which together form a join or notch contribute to concealing a little irregularities like inclined positions or gaps.